Ways To Get On Track with Professional Development
If there was ever a week where we needed some real talk, it’s this one. If you’re an Edmonton business owner you’re facing an unanticipated challenge. As a photographer, a part of my business thrives on events. Those events are on standby or are already canceled. This means I’m left with an unanticipated amount of time extra on my hands. This post will share the four ways I’m going to make the most of that time.
If there was ever a week where we needed some real talk, it’s this one. If you’re an Edmonton business owner you’re facing an unanticipated challenge. As a photographer, a part of my business thrives on events. Those events are on standby or are already canceled. This means I’m left with an unanticipated amount of time extra on my hands. This post will share the four ways I’m going to make the most of that time.
I’m a professional development enthusiast. I attend conferences, watch a zillion free webinars and I’m even working towards an online certificate in Adult Learning through the University of Calgary. As a small business owner professional development is in our own hands.
I’m also guilty of purchasing courses and content and not putting enough time aside to work my butt through them and get stuff done. SO! Here is my action plan over the next month to stop making excuses and work through the free and paid content waiting in my inbox.
Get Social With It
Share (without stealing!) your takeaways from what you’re learning through your courses/professional development journey. Sharing on social will keep you accountable for following through with what you’re learning. Telling your audience how you’re going to implement what you’ve learned is an amazing way to showcase your drive badassness as a business boss.
Here’s a personal example of a key takeaway from RISE Toronto:
RISE Toronto inspired me to reflect on what is currently going “right” in my business. In order to achieve my future goals, I need to recognize what is working and what is not. Chip away at the “not” and I can better focus my energies on what is working to generate more consistent revenue.
This is a summary of a key takeaway from the conference without sharing the exact content from the conference. I am spilling no secrets, only my insight.
If you’re like me, you’ve signed up for a course that you really don’t want to take, but you really really should take (I’m looking at you Taxes 101). If you’re really like me, you constantly push back a course like Taxes 101 each time you find a new and exciting course that aligns with your passion. Let’s promise each other that we’re going to find a balance.
Make a deal with yourself, you’ll do a module from a course you’re not enthused about (let’s not get out of hand and do the entire course all at once) and follow that module with another one from a course you’re in love with. So, get the dirty done fast and then move forward towards that golden light.
Look For Free Content
There is so much free content out there! YouTube is amazing. You do not need to sign up for an expensive coaching course if it’s not in your budget (and that’s okay!) If you’ve got a major crush on a coach, do a deep dive into all their free YouTube content first.
Download a Podcast app stat. Podcasts are my favorite source of online inspiration and growth. There are a few podcasts out there like the Start Today Morning Show and Boss Girl Creative that sometimes include monthly or weekly challenges for the listener. These challenges are a form of professional growth and development. Yes, they count!
Find a Balance
This will help you create strong habits once schedules are back to a regular pace. Time blocking an hour or two per week to sit down and only focus on professional development keeps it a priority.
I block off Wednesday mornings as my professional development time. It’s in my Google Calendar as a non-negotiable. I don’t always do a course during this time, sometimes it’s market research, some youtube tutorial time or time to sit down with a favorite coaching book.
Block Your Time
This is the part where I let you know that I work from home and don’t have children. It is fairly easy for me to make time for this each Wednesday morning but I know that won’t be the case for many readers. Do what you can, even if it’s 15 minutes a week. Block that time into your calendar and don’t let your other business items take priority over it.
Investing time in yourself is never going to be a bad thing. If you’re like me and faced with more open time on your hands than you were anticipating you might feel stuck. Right now is a hard time to make plans when it’s tricky to anticipate what’s going to happen a week from now or the week after that. If you’re finding yourself stuck, look to professional development as a source of inspiration.
Here are a few of my favorite online resources for professional development:
Written by Janelle Dudzic
MAD LOVE MONDAY - Jordyn Leah Swim
JORDYN LEAH SWIM is a sustainable, ethical, fully biodegradable, born-in-Canada swimwear label for wanderlusting souls who want gorgeous pieces they can not just look fabulous in, but also feel great about wearing and supporting. Made by women for women, with so much love.
What is your business and why that field?
JORDYN LEAH SWIM is a sustainable, ethical, fully biodegradable, born-in-Canada swimwear label for wanderlusting souls who want gorgeous pieces they can not just look fabulous in, but also feel great about wearing and supporting. Made by women for women, with so much love.
What inspired you to start your own business?
I’ve loved creating and designing my entire life - colouring, drawing, paging through fashion magazines and evolving into creating my own clothing as I grew up, which began to develop my love of designing fashion. I went to fashion design school to pursue this dream and about two years before I graduated from my program, I knew that I wanted to go beyond just designing fashion, I wanted to create my own label.
A big part of my inspiration to completely direct my own career path has come from my father who owned his own business and he’s really inspired me to follow in those footsteps for the huge rewards and freedoms that come from the intense work something like that requires.
Do you have a go-to quote/motto?
My absolute favourite quote is by a man who I’m sure almost everyone has at least heard of and it has been my favorite since I was little!
'Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.' —Dr. Seuss
This quote expresses so well my deep belief in honoring the uniqueness and individuality of each person that touches my life and whose life I might touch. This grounding belief is something I seek to incorporate into the fabric of my swimwear label; I have a vision to create the pieces in my label for every beautiful body and soul.
What’s a personal goal of yours to accomplish? Time frame?
A big personal goal of mine that I’m currently working on is to build more confidence to be the face of my brand, which has been challenging for me in the past. I’ve always been a very private person with my personal and professional life but I know it’s very important to connect on a personal level with my customers.
I’m sure they want to know more about me just as I want to know more about them. I hope to accomplish this by the end of the year!
Do you have a professional goal set or set of goals for your business?
Wow, where to begin?
I have such a long list of goals I want to achieve in my life, but of course, we all have only 24 hours in each day and so I’ve listened to the advice of already successful entrepreneurs and have organized the goals that are most important to me into a short, medium, and long-term plan.
We don’t have to sacrifice fashion and quality for sustainability and we don’t need to riot against fashion; we just want fashion to be more mindful. One of my immediate goals that I’m focusing a lot of attention on this year is to give my label a voice for the promotion of ethical, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly fashion.
The fashion industry as a whole is responsible for an enormous amount of pollution - in fact, the industry is the second largest polluter in the world! - and awareness of this reality is growing but answers and change are slow in coming.
I believe that small, sustainable changes in practices by both producers and consumers are the way to build the ripple effect that will slow the fast fashion practice that’s created so much waste and harm in its wake. We don’t have to sacrifice fashion and quality for sustainability and we don’t need to riot against fashion; we just want fashion to be more mindful.
Why do you love being an Entrepreneur?
There is no satisfaction quite like there is in growing a successful business. To take an idea and bring it to life is incredible. When that idea also positively impacts those around you, that is a rewarding feeling.
I love that I get to design and create whatever I want, I get to direct photo shoots and work alongside some of the most amazing, talented people, and I get to meet a lot of like-minded individuals.
Oh yeah, and I get to travel!
As an entrepreneur, you are completely accountable for your performance, too. It motivates me to do the best work I’m capable of, and continually strive to improve not only professionally but personally.
Did you ever have a time where you wanted to give up? How did you overcome that feeling?
There are days that are just overwhelming, and I think everyone who’s stepped into the uncertainty of an entrepreneurial venture has experienced times of conflict about whether it’s worth it to keep going, and I’m no different.
There are times I just sit and think, “What the hell am I doing? Why am I even doing all of this?”
I get through these times by reminding myself of the point of it all, of the reasons I first started this dream, and what the impact of it is when I make it into the success I envision.
I tell myself that I became an entrepreneur for a reason - because I wanted to make a difference, because I had a great idea, and because I have a passion for pursuing this idea.
Personally, I surround myself with other entrepreneurs or like-minded people, I really find this helps me quite a bit. I’m so lucky and grateful to have some really close friends and a partner who own their own successful businesses and one phone call or glass of wine with them completely changes my attitude.
Having a strong support system that includes others on the same journey as you are, who understand the unique challenges and struggles of it, is so valuable and I can’t recommend strongly enough to others building a business that they connect with a good business community where they can find support and encouragement, as well as give it to others in return.
And you know? A bit of pressure is not a bad thing! I actually find that I tap into my most creative and innovative core when I’m under some pressure.
What’s your best Boss Babe moment? The first moment of reassurance.
My best Boss Babe moment so far was the absolute sweetest thing. I’m lucky enough to receive some amazing feedback from my customers but one day I got a direct message on the JORDYN LEAH SWIM Instagram account that really stood out from such a kind soul.
She told me that 2 years ago she would have never worn one of my suits but that she decided that her body gets to wear whatever it wants even if it’s not social media’s ideal body. She then told me how confident and sexy my suits made her feel and that was the cherry on top.
Swimwear for a lot of women is one of the most intimidating pieces of clothing they will ever own. I promote real beauty - the skin you’re in right now is perfect right now and I want to support you in your journey to self-acceptance and self-love.
In fact, many of the images on the website show women who are not professional models - they’re our friends, sisters, family, and supporters. Each a beautiful body and soul exactly as she is right now.
What platform do you find most success from?
I find that Instagram is where I receive the most success and interactions from my business right now. Instagram is such a huge platform for brands like mine and it’s heavily based around businesses, bloggers, and influencers.
It’s also a great visual platform to help you form a more personal connection with your customers. People want to see what you’re up to, what you’re discussing/designing for future collections and styles and love looking at beautiful images. Give the people what they want!
Work-life balance: What do you do to destress? What is your must-have moment of the day?
When I’m feeling overwhelmed or stressed it’s a MUST to destress and have an hour or two to myself.
I really enjoy fitness because it does help immensely with my mental health. I could go to the gym feeling run down mentally and emotionally and leave an hour later in a completely different mood. When you get your blood flowing and your body moving, you release endorphins that combat stress.
Friends and family are really important to me as well. If I get the chance to hang out on the couch with my best friends or have an evening with my partner, it makes all the difference. Not discussing work during those times when you’re relaxing and taking personal time to yourself is also very crucial to a healthy, happy brain.
What are you looking to learn from other YEGBOSSBABES in the community?
I always have an open mind and I love learning and listening to other Boss Babes in my community!
As entrepreneurs, we are always educating ourselves, no matter how long we’ve been in business or how much we think we have perfected our craft. I think it’s so important we come together to support our local #BossBabe community and share our experiences with one another.
I strongly believe in co-opetition, not competition, and a very intelligent businesswoman taught me that.
I can’t wait to meet more amazing and inspiring women and hope to have the opportunity to collaborate more with them!
Jordyn Leah Heck | Jordyn Leah Swimwear
instagram.com/jordynleahswim
Community Highlights: BCBIGS Volunteering
Boys and Girls Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters (BGCBigs) is a community-supported organization committed to the healthy development of children, youth, and their families by providing safe places, positive relationships, services, and opportunities to develop personal strengths and interpersonal skills that enhance their long-term success in life.
I, for one, am a huge fan of the holidays, I would celebrate them all if I had enough time. Eating all the delicious special foods, giving gifts to show our love, and most of all spending quality time with those near and dear- it really gets me. The post-holiday hangover though, that’s real too. You’ve been at your aunties house for a week and starting to get sick of each other, you can’t wait to get home to your bed and hibernate with Netflix for a little while, get back to you, count your blessings. When we pause to look around, it’s easy to see the privileges all around us.
November and December are times of giving in our culture but in January everything goes back to normal. January and February are the loneliest months of the year, with rates of suicide much higher than normal. It can feel jarring for those in less privileged situations, especially those accessing services in our community to help their families get by.
For young kids, there are many free events that parents can sign up for where their children can meet Santa and take a gift home. These are great for parents who can’t afford much for gifts, it helps keep the magic alive and love in their homes. We can’t forget about helping others just because the holidays are over. Especially during the challenging months ahead, it’s important for those of us who are able to put our hearts out and lend a helping hand.
In October I had a chance to meet with Talia from Boys and Girls Club/ Big Brothers and Big Sisters and she let me know about all the amazing ways we can help out the kids involved in their programming, so check it out!
Boys and Girls Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters (BGCBigs) is a community-supported organization committed to the healthy development of children, youth, and their families by providing safe places, positive relationships, services, and opportunities to develop personal strengths and interpersonal skills that enhance their long-term success in life. As a Non-Profit organization, we worked with 5600 youth last year with the help of around over 3000 volunteers.
BCGBigs Mentoring and After-School programs seek to support vulnerable children and youth challenged by the impacts of poverty.
The organization also works in partnership with other community organizations to develop and deliver programs geared to specific populations, such as the immigrant and refugee community, the Indigenous community, and other vulnerable groups (e.g. LGBTQ youth).
HOW YOU COME IN
Mentoring/Partnering
Mentoring has been shown to be an important component of wraparound community services to support a child’s success in school. Mentoring is defined by the relationship between a caring more experienced or wiser volunteer (e.g. adult or older teen) and a child or younger youth.
Through participation in educational, recreational and social activities with a volunteer mentor, a mentoring relationship provides a child with support, friendship, guidance, and a constructive role model.
BGCBIG Volunteers Change Lives.
The change is usually small at first. Summoning the courage to order their own meal at a restaurant or learning how to take deep breaths when they’re upset. But that change grows with the child. It becomes confidence and hope. It becomes improved grades in school and a high school diploma. It becomes an unwillingness to dabble in negative behavior like drugs, alcohol, and bullying. And one day, that child becomes a successful, thriving adult.
As previously mentioned, Boys & Girls Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters (BGCBigs) is so fortunate to have the help of over 3,000 caring volunteers. Without volunteers, children and youth simply wouldn’t have the tools and support they need to become successful. For us, those tools and supports come from our mentoring and after school programs. Using those, we’re able to provide children & youth with healthy relationships and enriching experiences they need to understand their full potential and go out there and grab it. Our volunteers dedicate their time and efforts to spending time with a single child or with a group of children or volunteering with us behind the scenes.
GET INVOLVED
Are you interested in volunteering? Please go to www.bgcbigs.ca/volunteer for a full list of programs and applications.
Unable to volunteer your time on an ongoing basis? Call Volunteer Recruitment Facilitator Talia Shewchuk Magat at 780 822 2503 as she would be happy to meet with you over a cup of coffee to chat about other potential partnering opportunities.
Post submitted by TC Jordens-Harrah
TC Jordens-Harrah | YBB Ambassador: Community Inclusion
https://www.instagram.com/terrissacorrinne